5 writers, 5 questions, 1 band, hand-picked by MWA. Welcome to FIVE x FIVE. This week: Chicago transplants and blues rockers, Kinda Good.
It’s loud, it’s fuzzy, and it’s way better than the name implies. Originally from Alexandria, Indiana, the Mishler Bros. made their way up to Chicago and began making music with friends Sergio and Tony. At that point, the garage rock of Kinda Good was born. With an energetic live show and bold personalities, the outfit is just as fun to chat with as their stage performance.
In a world that seems to be drowning in pop rock, what made you guys decide to go with a blues rock vibe?
Well – I suppose it was a nice simple vibe to start that you could pack a lot of emotion and feeling into. — Though now we’re getting more comfy with each other we’re getting a bit more sassy and branching out into other genres.
What influenced the move from Indiana to Chicago? Was it music-related or were you just looking for a change?
Well, Sergio Coronado (drums) and Tony Defilippis (lead guitar) are from these parts. But Andrew Mishler and I pretty much moved here to play music together. Our hometown didn’t have too many venues and not a huge supportive scene – so Chicago has been pretty nice.
What are a few of your favorite local bands to see?
Oh man… I’ve been really digging the Peekaboos – they put on a killer show. Brother George is awesome – super catchy. If you haven’t seen Garbage Friends, they are a trash tornado of warbly seasick rage – it’s pretty fun. Oh! And Kenny Pritz is a super talented act as well. We’re super excited to play with North By North, too; I’ve exhausted my online resources and need to see them live now.
What do you try to convey in a live performance that might not come across in recordings?
We get really sweaty when we play – I hope people notice.
We have a lot of energy for a blues rock outfit – and that’s tough to convey – we like move around a bit and what not.
What’s on the horizon for Kinda Good? Any upcoming releases that we can look forward to?
Well we had a show at Sub T on July 9th with The Boxers and 10,000 light years that we were pretty excited about. Not to mention July 24th with Brother O’ Brother, North By North and the Addies at Emporium – that show is going to be rad. We are going to be releasing our first EP called the MOTIVE EP – and that will be early this fall. We haven’t scheduled the release party yet but we are certainly hoping for dinosaurs and thunder.
We also do Bar Mitzvahs and Parties – so keep us in mind.
Let’s be honest – are you naked right now?
3 no’s and a yes and a half.
Catch Kinda Good at the next Midwest Action sponsored show at Emporium on July 24th. Also performing are Brother O’ Brother, North by North, and the Addies for the low, low price of FREE. RSVP here, and we’ll see you for a good time on Thursday night.